Eneas Freyre named Duathlete of the Year Award by USAT

Congrats to our Head of Endurance Training coach Eneas Freyre who was named Duathlete of the Year by USAT!  Well deserved after a tremendous season!

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Also, congrats to Megan Kelly who was featured in USAT's e-newsletter for qualifying for the Sprint Triathlon Championships a mere 15 weeks after giving birth to triplets! 

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Lake Waramaug Sprint Tri Recap

Last Friday a few TTers (Ed, Cornelia, Jared M) ventured north to Litchfield County for an evening sprint tri - Lake Waramaug. The trip north (with summer Friday traffic) took about 1.5 hours from southern Fairfield County.

All I can say is this - if you are lucky enough to have "summer Fridays" at work put this on your 2011 race calendar! The swim is in a beautiful lake - flat water and well marked. The bike goes around the perimeter of Lake Waramaug and by a vineyard - it offers breathtaking views and some tough climbing for the last 3-4 miles. The run starts out with 1 mile cross-country style (mix of grass and trails with some steep small hills) then the last 2 miles are on the road with some minor climbing. The course actually reminded me of a shorter version of the Escape from Alcatraz tri!

As for my race, I was very excited about the women starting in the first wave! YAY!!! I was able to get a good lead in the swim and although nervous about getting lost on the bike course since I was unfamiliar with it, was happy to have a police escort - so no worries there. After a few miles the first relay passed me - a woman who was flying! I tried keeping pace for a few minutes but didn't want to blow up (she didn't have to run). Good thing - the last 3-4 miles were pretty much all uphill - first a steep short climb then gradual stair stepping into T2. On the run the top guys started to pass me - I was still sucking wind from that bike leg! Luckily I ran the cross-country portion during warm up so knew what I had coming! I was very happy to see asphalt after the first mile and was able to hang on for 1st place and a new course record.

Spotting Jordan Rapp in Las Vegas

Matt and I got to hang out with Jordan and his very cool girlfriend Jill Savege in Las Vegas. Jill is also fast; she has finished as high as 11th in the Hawaii Ironman Championships. An ITU Olympic representative for Canada at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, Jill may become more active on the coaching end of things. Matt Baldwin, Jordan, Jill and I sat down for a lunch at the Wolfgang Puck restaurant in the Venetian Resort.

We discussed a wide array of topics, including nutrition during a race. I introduced Jordan to two items: First Endurance's Optygen and Vespa (wasp extract). Jordan talked about how he likes simple carbohydrate drinks (Gatorade) because it digests well. Jill mentioned how maltodextrin doesn't absorb quickly enough and causes her gastrointestinal distress.

We then switched over to equipment. Jordan, who writes for Slowtwitch, mentioned that he felt Cervelo continues to innovate ahead of the industry. He truly likes Felt, who we don't sell, but who does sponsor Jordan. We understand that Jim Felt has been a good friend to the bicycle industry; Tom Schuler always had wonderful things to say about Felt. Jordan also observed that the Cannondale Slice product is an excellent compliment to Cervelo's P2, P3, P4 because it fits athletes differently (which is very helpful since we try to fit the bike to the person, of course).

We discussed and debated the merits of various wheels, from Mavic to Zipp to Reynolds. Jordan loves Zipp, and while we like Zipp for triathlon, we favor Mavic and Reynolds for road racing/riding. Of course, Zipp has made the 404 and 808 even more aerodynamic this year. And Cervelo's TestTeam is going to race on Zipp wheels. Well, these are three excellent set of wheels -- not a lot goes wrong with Mavic Cosmic/Ultimates, the Reynolds Superlites and Attack wheels and Zipp's series of 4's, 8's and 10's.

And Jordan showed me how excited he was with Zipp's new 100 gram stem. We'll show some pictures another time, but it is a beauty. Can't wait to get one in March when they become available. It is all carbon with some titanium on the outside. Sweet.

Jordan is preparing for his second Ironman Arizona this year; he got 3rd the first time around. When Jordan and Jill come visit us next, we'll hold a special event. He was bummed he couldn't be at ITP to race with Dom, Eneas, Mitch, Yock, Greg and Dave this weekend, but there will be other opportunities. Jill promised she would help us organize a women's focused triathlon seminar/clinic. That should be pretty cool. Stay tuned for more.

"Keep Those Tires Rollin' " Bicycle maintenance tip of the week

Your bike tires are the main contact point between you and the road so keeping them ready to roll will make your cycling sessions safe and reliable. Here are some tips to keep those tires rolling smooth and fast:
- Keep your tires inflated according to manufacturer’s specifications. Making sure that your tires are properly inflated is the single most important thing that you can do to prevent flat tires and premature wear. All tires come with recommended tire pressure ratings so follow them closely. Low tire pressure can lead to pinch flats and dangerous cornering, while pressure readings that are too high for clinchers will lead to a rough and inefficient ride, and with some wheels will even lead to damaged rims and blow outs. Many people think that high tire pressures will decrease rolling resistance and improve performance. This is a misconception. For most clincher tires, a pressure reading of 100-115 will achieve optimum rolling resistance and provide better handling and a more comfortable ride. Rotating your tires is not just limited to your car. Switching your bike tires from front to back every 1,000 miles will maximize the life of a good quality set of tires.
- Keep those tires away from the sun and nature’s elements when not in use. Excessive light and outdoor conditions can damage and weaken the rubber in your tires leading to cracked and weakened sidewalls. Keeping your bike and wheels indoors when not cycling will help extend your tires’ life span.
- When installing new tires or tubes, use baby powder to keep the tire and tube from galvanizing together over time.
- Frequently inspect your tires for damage and stuck debris. You can often spot problems such as cut sidewalls or glass stuck in tires and easily repair or place the tire before your next ride. This simple preventative measure will save you flat tires and headaches on future road rides.

September -- what a month

There are so many great happenings in September it is incredible.
1. Green Mountain Stage Race. The TARGETRAINING Elite squad is racing in Vermont, as is Max Veiga. The race goes 4 days with four stages: a time trial, a circuit race, a long point to point road race and a criterium. Look for results here. And check the TARGETRAINING Blog for more on this.
2. September TT Saturday Centuries(100K). Every 7 AM from TARGETRAINING.
3. Westport Kiwanis Triathlon. Sunday September 7th at 7:30 AM. Sprint triathlon in our hometown. What fun! Please see here. Great for entire family.
4. Threads and Treads Tour de Greenwich. September 14th. This is a blast, but be careful out there. See here.
5. Charter Oak Charity Ride September 20-22 (Friday-Sunday). Great cause -- building and running a school for Bridgeport CT children who now due to the program make it to college. Founded by Andrew Boas who is a caring individual and is passionate about education and cycling. 80 miles each day. Great group of people. Great scenery. Great ride. Please see here.
6. ITP Triathlon September 27th in Darien CT. Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura ("ITP") is a very rare bleeding disorder. The ITP Foundation helps families with children and adolescents with ITP who need financial assistance to manage and treat the disorder, and raise funds to further ITP research. TARGETRAINING will be at this triathlon in force. More to follow. Mark your calendars for this great event. It is slightly longer than a sprint triathlon (1/2 mile swim, 15 mile ride, 5 mile run). Jordan Rap from TARGETRAINING won it two years in a row but this year you will see Dom Gillen and team there.